"They were inviting us here to die" is a sentiment appalling to hear, however one tries to contextualise, embellish or rationalise it. It is as evocatively chilling as Jews being herded into gas chambers during the Nazi regime. This statement was made by a farmer who survived, describing the crowd crush at the 2025 Kumbh Mela in India. Even the farmer realised that the event was grossly mismanaged and that the administrative priorities were focused on VIPs instead of ordinary devotees.

Driven by their ideological pathology, the Nazis persecuted those whom they considered the other and did not fall in line with their diktats. The people were forced into camps. The Kumbh is a mega event that has, in near history, never been stampede-free. Instead of implementing crowd-control measures, the government decided it would serve their best interests to prioritise a swelling attendance, leveraging it to grow political capital. The people willingly reciprocated in overwhelming numbers, believing that the "champions" of Hindutva would receive them following the adage atithi devo bhava—"a guest is a god."

Clearly, the remarks of the administration at the state and national levels reveal their disconnect from reality and human nature. No sympathy or familiarity has crossed their minds even after the disaster. Whether it be Hema Malini trying to downplay it as a minor incident and doubling down on trivialising it or the administration claiming that the Kumbh is an unparalleled success, Hindu unity is only a political handle that these proponents of faith use to hold onto votes.

The government is going far to ensure the erasure of the stampedes at the Mela at Prayagraj and the New Delhi Railway Station. The administration initially acted as if nothing had happened. It was not until the media started covering it that they acknowledged the incident. Independent media and individuals from ground zero report numbers far more than the official claims. The Railways have gone as far as to issue takedown notices to social media channel(s) to remove videos of the stampede and its aftermath. The notice claims that the actual videos are misleading and may lead to a situation of law and order.

Noticeably, this incident has not created a significant stir within the populace. People who vociferously protest against providing education and healthcare to the downtrodden, claiming conversion, are nowhere heard. These elements cry themselves hoarse that people are being lured by other faiths, even against statistics that prove otherwise. Yet, they did not make a move when the actions of their own leaders were crushing their own brethren, even when evident.

Videos depicting minorities as villains are being circulated openly by fundamentalists. No takedown notices have been filed to remove them. Are they not far worse, being false and incendiary? The blatant hypocrisy of Hindutva leaders is laid bare for all to see. They shut down what is true and propagate what is false. Still, can we expect the citizenry to open their eyes and see that the leaders they support are not what they think they are?